Improved chain-elevator and bucket



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Lette/rs Patent No. 96,866, dated November 16, 1869.

IMPRovED cHArN-ELEvAToR AND BUCKET.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the uma.

To all whom it Imay concern:

Be it` known that I, J oHN AUGUsTUs BALL, of

i Grass Valley, in the county of Nevada, and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Imadevice for opening and closing the buckets at theV proper time of-.lling and disclnuging their contents, which works automatically, by means of jointed arms, and the peculiar construction and attachment of the buckets to the endless chain or belts. My device may be employed for elevating grain in store-houses, mud in dredging, sand in excavating, earth in ditching, and for other purposes when a self charging and discharging-bucket is wanted.

' Figure 1 is a side elevation.

Figure 2 is a side elevation showing bucket passing around the lower drum.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of bucket.

Figure 4 is a back view of bucket.

The frame Ais constructed at an inclination, and at each end are attached pulleys ordrums B B.

The lower drum, B', I construct larger in diameter than that of the upper one,so that the hinged gate of the bucket will not open when passing around its arc,- and is provided with grooves C C ateach end.

Tile upper drunrhas also grooves, with projections a n, between which the links of the endless chains D D enter as'the machineis revolved.

A drum, E, which is also grooved, is attached tothe under side ofthe frame, over which the chains and buckets pass in their revolutions. This drum may be raised or lowered to give a greater or less sweep to the, bucket.

The buckets are attached bottom up to the endless chains by the transverse rods b b b".

From each end of the rods b and c extend arms I d, that are bolted to the sides of the bucket, and these arms work on the pivot-ed joints as the machine. is turned. l

To the rear end of the bucket is hinged 'a ilap or door, F, and when the contents are discharged, itfalls by its gravity against the end of the bucket, and a guard, F', that is att-ached to the rod c and b which rises automatically by the action of thc jointed arms d d, and holds the door in place until it descends to the foot of the incline, when the 'jointed arms are expanded to allow the bucket to pass around the arc `of the drum.

By this operation the door does not iiy open, as the pitch is not sufficient to admit of it, and the u ar .descends and holds it while it is being lilled and carried to the top ot' the incline for discharging. l

At that point the arms approach cach other, drawing the guard and Yguard-rods that hold the door helow it, which causes it to ily out, and the bucket discharges itself, and so on at each revolution.

In some cases the guards may be. dispensed with, andthe rods b and c be used alone, but 1 prefer to construct my machine with the guards, set forth', to insure success in working Having thus describedmy invent-ion,

That I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Pat- Operating elevator-buckets by means of the rods Witnesses v W. W. HoBART, WM. K. SPENCER. 

